Rainy Day Friends Read online

“It helps if you pick up a few things every time you’re out,” Cora said. “Then your list of must-haves after the baby comes won’t be so overwhelming.”

  Yes, but every time she’d left her desk over the past month, she’d come back to an anonymous present for the baby. Sometimes it was wrapped, sometimes not, sometimes it was diapers, sometimes it was clothing or a piece of equipment, such as a car seat.

  She’d tried to figure out who the gifter was, but she was starting to suspect it was everyone. Just the thought had gotten her through some dark nights.

  On the drive to the doctor’s office, she clutched the bag like it was a pot of gold. “Thank you,” she said softly.

  “Oh, honey, you’re so welcome. Shopping for babies is a true joy.”

  “I meant thank you for everything,” she said.

  “You’re welcome for everything.”

  River shook her head. “I don’t think you get it. What you all mean to me. Until you took me in, I didn’t even have a bed. Mostly I was trying not to think about the future because . . . well, to be honest, I’m not sure I’m going to be any good at being a mom.”

  Cora gave her a soft smile. “You had a wonderful mom. She taught you how to depend on yourself and be a good person. You’re going to be a great mom.”

  River nodded, but she wasn’t sure she believed, even though a small part of her wanted to.

  Dr. Rodriguez was a tiny little dynamo with dark skin, dark eyes, and a happy smile for River. “How we doing?”

  “Fine.”

  “Let’s see.” The doctor checked River’s stats. “You have some signs of hypertension.”

  River froze. “What’s that?”

  “High blood pressure. But no worries. Rest and relaxation and good nutrition should get you through. But I’m serious about the rest part. It needs to include lots of off-your-feet time.”

  “But I have a job,” River said.

  “Do you stand for this job?”

  “No.”

  “Then you should be okay if you cut back to a few hours a day, tops.”

  River stared at her in horror. “I can’t make a living on a few hours a day.”

  “Yes, but it won’t be for long,” Dr. Rodriguez announced happily.

  “But I’m just over seven months. I still have two months to go.”

  “One,” Dr. Rodriguez said.

  River stared at her.

  Dr. Rodriguez’s smile faded. “We talked about your due date last time, didn’t we? It’s why your appointments will now be weekly.”

  River shook her head. “I was so nervous last time that all I heard was everything looked good.” River put her hands on her hot cheeks as a hot flash overcame her. “Oh my God.”

  “Okay, just take some deep breaths,” Dr. Rodriguez said, coming close, stroking her back. “Listen to me,” she said softly. “Lots of moms have a panic attack this close to giving birth. It’s totally understandable.”

  Oh, was it? Gee, how comforting . . .

  “Would you like me to bring Cora in?”

  “No,” River gasped.

  “Are you sure, sweetheart? A woman in your condition really needs her support team to rally around her.”

  “No, you don’t understand—I’m trying to learn to be on my own.”

  “Now’s not exactly the best time for that. Who’s your birth coach?”

  “I think Cora is.”

  “Then we should fill her in, don’t you think?”

  River hesitated and then nodded. “Okay.”

  When Cora was brought into the room, River had to admit, she felt relief.

  “Update,” Dr. Rodriguez told Cora, chipper again. “Baby’s all good, but coming sooner than expected. Mama here needs some rest and relaxation and must stay strong with her nutrition. If she keeps her blood pressure down, all those nasty, annoying symptoms of breathlessness and shakiness will go away. She’s young, she’ll bounce right back with help from her team.”

  And that was that. Cora was her team.

  They then went to the prenatal class, where River learned how to breathe through pain, which to be honest, she was pretty skeptical about.

  She went to bed that night after having knocked on Lanie’s door.

  Lanie hadn’t answered.

  Telling herself she deserved no less, River had let herself have one last cry. “Our very last pity party,” she told the baby, alone in the dark.

  THE NEXT DAY, Lanie got up and headed to work with more than a little trepidation. Everyone now knew her torrid secret—that she hadn’t been enough for her husband; he’d had to get himself some other wives.

  The night before Mark had tried to comfort her, but she’d made it clear that the only comforting would be done naked and would not involve any more words on the matter.

  He’d complied. Her body felt very comforted this morning.

  Her mind, not so much.

  She found Alyssa in the employee room shoving down a doughnut. “Started to go to the gym,” she said. “You know, to work off some of the baby fat. Only I couldn’t find my membership card and a new one was ten bucks. And since a doughnut and coffee was only three bucks, guess who saved seven bucks this morning?”

  “I like the way you think,” Lanie said.

  They toasted with their coffee cups and then came an awkward silence.

  “So . . . how are you doing?” Alyssa asked.

  “You know damn well how I’m doing. I’m tired, grumpy, and need ice cream, preferably delivered by puppies.”

  Alyssa squeezed her hand in sympathy and took a call.

  Lanie was grateful to have gotten out of the conversation she didn’t want to have. Because she actually didn’t know how she felt. She knew she needed to process on her own time schedule, although she was a slow processor. But she could feel things boiling just beneath her surface. Way too many things . . .

  Mia walked in yawning and headed directly toward the coffeepot.

  “Where’s everyone?” Lanie asked.

  “If by everyone you mean River, she’s out in the field today. Come to me, my precious,” she said to her cup of coffee.

  Lanie’s biggest hope for the day had been to avoid River and her relief was instant, like a huge weight lifted off her chest. “The field?” she asked.

  Mia shrugged. “She’s working from the big house today, doing some online research for Mom. I think it was more for you than anything else. It’ll be easier for you to avoid her and pretend you’re not mad when we all know you are.”

  Lanie froze for a beat. “I’m not—”

  “Oh, please.” Mia met Lanie’s gaze, her own surprisingly kind. “Listen, you’ve got a right to be, at the very least, bitchy as hell. And I’ve been there.”

  “Really?” Lanie asked. “You’ve been married to a man you thought you knew only to have him die and then find out he collected wives like some men collect change in their pockets?”

  “Well, maybe not exactly that,” Mia said. “But the important thing here is to remember to practice self-care in times of stress. Take a walk, paint a picture, murder someone, burn the body, and clean up the crime scene.”

  Lanie laughed. She hadn’t thought she’d had a laugh in her, but she’d been wrong. “Thanks.”

  “Anytime.”

  “I’m going out with some friends tonight,” Mia said. “And I know Mark’s working. Come join us.”

  “Can’t,” Lanie said, more than a little bummed that Mark wouldn’t be able to further distract her with more orgasms later. But it was just as well because she knew he expected her to talk eventually. He was just waiting her out. But he didn’t know the lengths she was prepared to go in order to never talk about it. “I have too much stuff to do.”

  And that night she got to the “stuff,” which involved spending hours taking Buzzfeed quizzes to see what kind of pizza she was and which Harry Potter character she resembled.

  And so went the next week, during which she managed to continue to avoid River so ea